h2oskineil

OK.... I need someone to enlighten me......Should I fly Garuda or spend the few hundred dollars more and go with another airline???

For various reasons I have always said I wouldn't fly Garuda (going Perth to Bali). Have read over the years poor safety record, some countries do not allow Garuda to land due to sub standard safety (is this still the case?)

A Garuda aircraft tried to land on a closed runway at Perth a few years ago, having been already told the run way was closed. Missed the first landing as it spotted the tarmac machines on the runway so 'went around'.... came in low over the tarmac machines and dropped onto the runway after the machinery. (I suppose at least they missed the machinery!)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-05-1...irport/2439236

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/tragedy...0701-d4kl.html

http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news...-miss/7529761/

Should I be concerned or am I being silly???

Turban Explorer

I've flown Garuda a few times and never had an issue. Chances are it will be fine. Besides who else does have an unblemished safety record? Qantas can't seem to take off nowadays without an incident and i don't know if Jetstar do Perth to Bali although they're pretty dreadful with their super tight seats. Cairns casualty was evacuated ready for casualties after another Qantas emergency landing last Friday after the landing gear failed.

HelenTD

They do have a notorious reputation, but as TE says, other airlines have incidents. Saying that, I have always avoided flying with Garuda and I have no intention of ever choosing them. Even as a budget/backpacker traveller, I chose to pay more and travel with someone else.

GarryP

They were so bad they got banned from flying into all of Europe. In consequence they improved standards and got the ban lifted, but I'd still be reticent to fly with them today.

We're not talking Tiger bad, all they did was bust a few minima. We're talking crash bad. Maybe their safety fixes have made the entire airline now of a good standard - but I wouldn't want to bet that local services got the same attention as international services.

I'd spend the money to avoid.

spalen

They were taken off the EU Blacklist in 2009

The fact they were on that in the first place would be enough for me to spend " a few hundred " and go with Singapore or Qantas or someone else

You probably wont die - you are still statistically more likely to crash on the way to the airport as goes the old adage.

Kapri

Me too. If safety is not their priority I'd give them a wide berth. Is it really worth saving a few hundred dollars on?

DeadVim

From a brief search here Air Asia seems comparable in price:

http://www.webjet.com.au/flights/bali/perth/

Personally I'd save the money and let fate sort it all out, but I'm like that ...

Azzy

I feel the same way about Garuda, I have always said I would never fly with them. I know they have likely updated their safety standards in the last few years and are now probably a victim of bad PR/history but I still would not feel safe flying with them.

I'm a bit different to DV^ in that I have no qualms in spending an extra few hundred dollars for a better flight. To me flights and peace of mind during the flight is really important, but most of all I would spend extra money not to fly Jetstar because no savings offsets the pain of having to listen to Missy Higgins music in flight!!

In the whole scheme of life, it is just a few hundred dollars so if you really don't want to fly Garuda, then dont

DeadVim

I don't mind spending extra on the comfort factor, that's the reason I choose Singapore and will pay a premium for their service.

I don't factor in the possibility of accidents though, statistically Qantas is due a fatality soon ... What will be will be.

EvannTel

I wouldn't.

A good few years ago now I played golf with a guy who leased them the aircraft. He had been instructed to never fly with them as they were falsifying maintenance records to keep costs down

Now that was years ago but hey - why would you?

Kooky.

You're concerned, so spend the few extra hundred.

We flew UK-Bali with them ten years ago, before we got spoiled by SQ.

Outbound journey was OK, apart from having to sit next to a sex tourist all the way to Bangkok (who liked to share his stories).

Flight home was another matter, as the plane broke and we were delayed over 24 hours. Spent several hours at the airport being told jack all, before being dumped in a dodgy Kuta hotel for the night.

They had to get another plane and another crew flown in, and the replacement plane was smaller so we had to refuel twice. Did get to go in the pointy end but, with Garuda and a very old plane, it wasn't all it might have been

Azzy

Ah re read my message DV and it sounds like i was calling you a cheapskate which isn't what I was meaning I mean I am the type of person that thinks if I fly Garuda it will mean a certain death so I will spend the money rather than have the "whatever will be will be" mentality.

As part of fools law I bet I will be the person that pays the extra to fly qantas rather than Garuda and it will end up being the qantas plane that is due to go down

NELBHOY

Speaking as an aircraft engineer, I wouldn't go near them.

DotSpot

They used to have a bad safety reputation, but then again so did Korean Air, Turkish and Aeroflot. They now some of the world's most respected airlines.

I've heard good things about them since the revamp, some great trip reports:

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...d.main/191857/

I would fly them at the drop of a hat.

Remember, Singapore did actually take off from a closed runway a few years ago, killing 83 passengers.

DeadVim

Yeh, life is like that sometimes ... you analyse something to death (thanks Google!) then something else comes along to ruin your day

I'll be driving down to the coast soon, to be honest that stretch of motorway holds more potential horrors for me than hopping on any plane ...